In a battle of top-10 NAIA teams, No. 7 Westminster used a strong second half to come from behind and defeat No. 5 Westmont 78-71 in the championship game of the Tom Byron Classic on Saturday night.
Westminster scored 50 points in the final half to erase an 11-point deficit from halftime. The Warriors still had their 11-point lead with seven minutes remaining but allowed Westminster to reel off 13-straight points as part of a 20-2 run.
The result snaps a string of five-straight Tom Byron titles for the Warriors. It also avenges an 88-81 loss to Westmont earlier this season.
Four Westminster players reached double digits in scoring, with Jake Orchard’s 17 points leading the bunch.
For Westmont, Preston Branson posted a team-high 16 points while Niko Brooks added 15. Cooper Damron collected 12 points and 11 rebounds.
